I don't want to screw up this brisket....

Torn between the Big Green Egg and the Weber Smoky Mountain for weeks, I finally pulled the trigger on the WSM when I saw the article of GWiv and his mastery of BBQ on the WSM. I've had great success with slow and low smoked ribs on my Weber gas over the years, but my Briskets have been failures.

GWiv- have you ever posted a tutorial anywhere on smoking brisket on the WSM, everything from the rub to lighting the charcoal, to mops, to foiling or not? If so, please point me to it, I'd appreciate it. If I can even come within a mile of replicating your results, my guests will be happy.

Also, I know you use the hand method, but is there any thermometer that you would recommend?

Thanks.

Snoopdug,

You are hitting so many of my BBQ trigger points I almost think this is one of my BBQ buddies playing a joke on me.

I am a big believer in walk before you run, which in the case of a new user to the WSM means, at least, 5-6 cooks before attempting an 8-10 hour brisket. It's not a matter of which meat is more difficult to properly cook, but one of learning fire control.

If you are insistent about cooking a brisket right off the kick, I can walk you though the steps using a WSM, no problem, but my suggestion is take a lesson from barbecue itself and go Low & Slow.

There are a couple of basic things you will need, no matter which direction you go, a Weber brand chimney starter, lump charcoal, hickory wood chunks (not chips) and, if you insist, an oven and instant read thermometer (analog)

I have the great good fortune to be attending a dinner tonight for Patricia Wells, author of my favorite Paris guide, The Food Lover's Guide to Paris, but will happily go on, and on, and on, about BBQ at a later time.

Good choice on the WSM, though the Green Egg and/or Kamado are nice cookers as well.

Enjoy,
Gary

I hear ya' Gary, but I'm craving brisket pretty bad right now. I used to travel to Texas a lot and developed quite an addiction and I've never found anything commercially available here that is even close to as good. (NB: While Texas is the brisket mecca, Bo's in Lafayette ((a suburb of Oakland, Ca)) makes the best brisket (and beef ribs) that I have ever tasted).

I guess I can hold off, and warm up with a few racks of ribs this weekend. (I use the cooks illustrated dry rub) I am hopeful that, when you have a chance, you can post a brisket tutorial for me. I'm intrigued by the lump suggestion as most on the virtualweberbullet.com (forums are unfortunately down) specify briquets as they last longer and are easier to control.

Anyway, I am thankful in advance for any and all WSM tips you can provide, as the pictures I have seen of your results speak volumes as to your qualifications.

Also, I can still return the WSM, so if you think the Green Egg is worth the extra $$$ please let me know too.

Thanks and Bon appetit ce soir...

IMHO there is no reason to return the WSM. It is one heck of a cooker, and honestly it is the chef that makes good BBQ, not the pit (though the WSM does make it fairly easy on ya).
My best advice to ya (be it the briket or ribs) is to just relax, take your time and have fun with it.
I tend to use the "Minion Method" for most all of my cooks, cutting back on amount of charcoal based on how long I will need fire. Basically fill the ring with unlit charcoal (I use Kingsford) and light 15 or so coals in the chimmney. Wait till those are ashed over, pour them over the unlit coals, add your wood (start with 3-4 fist sized chunks, you'll be amazed at how much smoke that can produce), assemble the cooker and throw the meat on. Keep top vent open and scale back the lower vents to get in your target range. I usually tend to have all 3 vents 1/2 open and have a oil thermometer stuck through the top vent on the clip that came with it. I also have a Polder probe that I put in large cuts so I can see temp without opening lid. Remember, opening the lid only adds to cook time.
And make sure you take it off when it is ready, not when you get hungry
Adult beverages tend to make most cook successful as well.
Enjoy!
Jamie

Here's a vote for the Big Green Egg. Owned one for 2+ years now and it is without question my most prized culinary possession. They are absolutely fabulous for very easy low-n-slow bbq at 200-225, chicken at 300-350, pizzas at 600, searing the holy hell out of steaks at 1000+ degrees, and everything bbqd/grilled/smoked in between. It's extraordinarily versatile, whereas the WSM is pretty much one-dimensional. Like you, I failed miserably many times at brisket on my weber gas grill and was desparate to find the right cooker. I did all the research and got the Egg and never once have I felt I wasn't worth every penny I paid for it a million times over. It's a lifetime investment and something you will use many times a week, even in the winter, which does not affect the Egg one bit. It's that heavy and insulated, completely ignores the wind and the cold. Let me know if you'd like to discuss more, I've had many friends and family make the same purchase on my recommendation, so I'm more than armed with ideas and feedback and advice.

I've got a Kamado which I've enjoyed the last 4 years, but I have to agree with Jamie that it's the cook not the cooker. The WSM is an excellent smoker and I've tasted some fantastic BBQ off of them, especially Gary's.
One thing I really recommend is natural hardwood lump instead of something like Kingsford. It's got no fillers and burns much cleaner.
Berger Brothers on the corner of Cherry and Division is a great source for the lump as well as different woods like hickory and apple.
Good luck on your Brisket, I've smoked plenty of them, some great, some okay and some shoe leather, but it's always been fun and great way to spend a day.

DBigg wrote:but I have to agree with Jamie that it's the cook not the cooker

I wouldn't disagree one bit that the skill of the bbq'er goes a long way towards determining the result. I'm assuming here that someone who is serious enough to invest in a WSM or a ceramic cooker is also serious enough to want to develop the skills and knowledge to do it right.

But this statement overlooks the differences in the degrees to which some tools make some tasks easier than others. Who among us cannot walk through our homes and especially our kitchens and point to tools and devices that make certain tasks far easier? Some tools also have more uses than others.

My personal take is that smoking is made very easy on a Big Green Egg, and that even someone with less skills or knowledge or experience can produce outstanding results, very soon after acquiring one. Some examples:
1) no water pan required (or refills during a cook). the ceramics on the Egg keep the moisture inside the cooker so no additional liquid supply is needed.
2) temperature control: once you've stabilized at 225 degrees or whatever temperature you are smoking at, you rarely need to adjust the air vents to maintain this temperature. Wind outside and cold weather do not affect your settings one bit.
3) efficiency: a single load of lump charcoal in a large Egg lasts 20+ hours when cooking low-n-slow, no joke. Never a need to add coal during a cook. Great for overnight cooks.

When you combine the ease of bbq/smoking with the Egg with its versatility as a grill (essentially a wood oven!) through any temperature range, you have a wonderful cooker.

Happy grilling to all.

Thanks for the responses everybody. Both the BGE and the WSM seem great and each have legions of fans. Both likely have similar learning curves in terms of fire control and, accordingly, require dedication to the craft. I think the one clear advantage the BGE has, in our climate, is its cold weather utility...so it allows you to BBQ here in May and early June Happy Q-ing everyone!

Snoopdug wrote: I think the one clear advantage the BGE has, in our climate, is its cold weather utility...so it allows you to BBQ here in May and early June Happy Q-ing everyone!

Snoopdug,

While no one is disagreeing the BGE and Kamado are excellent cookers, they do have some disadvantages, mainly cost and weight. My WSM's are light weight, cost less than $200 and, contrary to popular belief, work just swell in winter.


Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't kick a BGE or Kamado out of bed, it's just that I have been quite pleased with WSM's over the last 7-8 years. As an aside, I also have an off-set style NB Bandera, which is a very good smoker, but does not work well in winter.

Enjoy,
Gary (lover of insipid clams)

LTH,

Thought I'd resurrect this old brisket thread with a few brisket pictures from a Big Green Egg. As has been said throughout this thread, board and BBQ people in general, its the cook not the cooker and I have had equal success with the WSM, Big Green Egg and various other cookers, but today's brisket was particularly tasty.



The one negative with the large BGE is a full size packer cut brisket, 15/lb in this case, will not fit on the cooking grate. Not a problem with a WSM, either 18.5 or 22.5.



Nuanced smoke flavor, good penetration, fatty crisp bark with hint of spicy heat.



In all deference to the decent to surprisingly good commercial BBQ joint brisket I've had around town in the last few months this brisket, as do most backyard brisket from practiced smokers, was simply levels above. One bite of crispy fatty juicy spicy bark and I actually laughed out loud

Sauce is my Cooper's in Llano clone



Brisket, Butternut white bread, Lexington red slaw


Enjoy,
Gary

Weekend Wall Street Journal, 5-18-19-2013, Off Duty Section. Heavy on New Smoking.
Cook brisket for 14 hours at Smoke in Texas. Same approach in NYC.
Talked about using a Weber, 221/2" and adding a Weber Smokenator 1000. Costs $ 100.00.
Anyone ever use???

Thanks,

Wally Wade